In the one life that we have, some of us are extremely fortunate to have figured out where our passion lies. I for one, always knew that I wanted to be a Musician. During my childhood in third grade i had started piano classes and had begun sight reading my piano pieces. That somehow stopped and for a few years i just meddled around with the keyboard but nothing serious. Years later in 10th grade i saw my friend taking up drum classes. I remember me walking into the institute to register myself and i heard loud but muffled drum sounds which instantly synced with my heartbeat. And just like that i was in. Drumming was super fun and went on for one to two years. But later on my major instrument became Guitar.
Starting to play guitar and sing at 16 was an unconscious experience. I never felt the need to take time out for practice because this was my playtime and it was me adhering to my curiosity. My first online lessons on rhythm chops was one of the best feelings in the world when i got it right. I got really into it in my college days and when i was exposed to "blues music" i felt like this is what i am going to play for the rest of my life. Artists like John Mayer, SRV, BB King, Derek Trucks, Elmore James, Eric Clapton, Joe Bonamassa, Lady Antebellum, blow my mind. Also i am a big fan of Indian Classical and Bollywood music and my goal is to fuse these two worlds!
I always knew i wanted to be a musician, but it took a long time to figure out what i wanted to do in music. There was a point in my life where i just wanted to be the best guitar player. It was an expectation that was so broad and indefinable and therefore unreachable. After a really long time surfing through life one day at a time, I asked myself what i really wanted and i found i just wanted to be listenable! I wanted to play music and create songs that people connected to! And that’s how my dream of becoming a songwriter was born. The artist who put fuel to this spark was John Mayer. He is that artist in my life that gave me the urge to write songs and become a songwriter and to use the guitar to do it. He was an ideal idol because his songwriting was beautiful and at the same time he could play brilliant guitar.
My dream of being a musician got me to KM College of Music and Technology in Chennai, an institute founded by A.R Rahman. The atmosphere was very inviting and I instantly fell in love with the place. It was like my home away from home. Simultaneously i also used to go to a different college to get my Bachelors degree in Arts. I absolutely dreaded that place and couldn’t wait to get out of it. I would bunk my degree college to attend KM. It was the only institution i was part of where we had to be kicked out by the guard so they can close the place for the day. The jam sessions were never ending and the friends i made were for life. It is an institution that made me the musician i am today.
But the dream college i wanted to go to was Berklee College Of Music in Boston. Sure enough, A few years later i found myself applying to Berklee for a summer program. Going to Berklee has hands down been the most beautiful experience of my life. It was the best decision i ever made and I still cherish the moments i got to experience at Berklee. I met people from all walks of life, was introduced to new genres and had experiences that i will never forget. It is definitely one experience which has measurably changed my life.
Everyone has their own battles to fight and i am no exception but I’m also very fortunate to have a family that supports my dream of being a musician and i have a well to do life with no complaints, which in turn got me thinking was the reason i wasn’t able to write songs! I started assuming that i wasn’t able to write songs because i wasn’t sad enough or broken enough. I started believing that to create good music i need to be heartbroken, insecure, sad, struggling, and unhappy which was very misleading. I would deliberately try to find ways to make my life more miserable so i could write something, Be it messaging an ex-partner or putting myself in an unpleasant state by over thinking stuff. (Would love to know other musicians pov on this!)
The major problem i had and still have as a musician is Insecurity. If one can not give a damn about other people’s opinions that’s when the magic starts to happen. I struggle to write a word or two on my melodies. I just assume that it isn’t going to be good. It’s so ironic that me wanting to become a songwriter, I am unable to find the courage to do just that. I would have so many great ideas but never enough courage to finish them. After a lot of trial and error I finally finished my first complete song a few months ago. I showed it to my friends and that gave me a lot of encouragement to finish my album. Hopefully coming soon to a streaming platform on your phone!
Playing Guitar and Music really is getting one with my soul, it gives me the happiness or that relaxed feeling someone might have after sharing their happiness and problems with a close friend. The relationship between a musician and his/her instrument is the most beautiful thing i have known because your guitar always there to listen and if you give it some time you will find all the right notes you have been looking for!
Keep practicing!